Among the Kurds…in Japan!
A new fraternity was born this year, in Kawaguchi, about an hour from Tokyo. Let’s find out what the Little Sisters are living there, and how they came to be in this particular place.
Last year, while we were meeting together with all the Little Sisters of Japan, we had a strong sense of being called, and we decided to open a fraternity for immigrants from Muslim countries. In particular, we were drawn to the Kurds coming from Turkey. They’ve left their country for a variety of reasons, but especially because of political issues. They live in Kawaguchi, and we decided to look for a place to live in that city.
You are surely wondering how Kurds came to be in Japan, particularly in Kawaguchi.
The first Kurd came to Japan in 1991, because his life was in danger in his own country. While he was thinking of leaving Turkey, he was at the airport and, a bit by chance, he ran into an Iranian who lived in Kawaguchi and who advised him to come to Japan also. According to that Iranian it was relatively easy to get in. Bilateral agreements between Turkey and Japan allow a person to come without a visa for three months. Thus it was that he arrived in Kawaguchi, and the Kurdish settlement in that city began.
In reality that first Kurd discovered rather quickly that it’s not so easy to be recognized as a refugee in Japan. The Japanese government accepts very few refugees. And yet, Kurds kept coming and settling in Kawaguchi, where today there are more than 2000 of them. They’ve even somehow figured out ways of making a living here.
In order to get to know these people before we actually went to live with them, we started by contacting the Japanese NGO that helps foreigners learn the language. There we met Japanese who love Kurdish people, and we found out that there are NGOs specially dedicated to supporting them. Thanks to them we received our initiation into the culture and customs of this people. For example, they celebrate “Newroz,” the most important festival of the year which marks the arrival of spring. We learned how the festival is organized, and how there are talks on it prepared by the refugees.
Finally, we found an apartment in their neighborhood. In April of 2025 we moved in.
Since we arrived, the information we receive from these NGOs has helped us find ways to get to know the Kurdish people. For example, we went to a little football game for children, where there was a Kurdish team taking part; to a photo exhibit showing how the people live; and to some Kurdish restaurants to find out what kind of food they eat, and try their cuisine…There we met a lot of Kurds who work in building demolition who eat breakfast there, or who come for lunch in their big trucks.
We meet many Kurdish people in the street, in stores, and at work, since one of us works cleaning in a hospital. But we have to look for more ways to get to know them better.
In recent years Kurds have been the victims of hate on the part of certain Japanese people, both in the street and online. Unfortunately hatred of foreigners is not new in Japan. It is always present, even though its targets change. First we take advantage of foreigners, who do the kinds of jobs Japanese people don’t want to do; but then we exclude them when it suits us.
This attitude fits in well with a general wave of anti-immigrant sentiment sweeping the world these days. Foreigners are seen as a threat. There have been forced deportations here for a long time. But in recent years they are done in a more extreme fashion, with no respect for the individual’s circumstances or for their other family members living in Japan.
Recently we met a Kurdish family living in our neighborhood who has also been harassed by the neighbors. We meet the father more often than the mother in the street. They have four children. The father has shared with us about his life. He has a very hard demolition job, which he’s been doing since he arrived 15 years ago. He’s 27 now, and his arms are scarred from multiple workplace accidents. Unfortunately the work is very irregular, and he often finds himself unemployed. He’s also told us about his family, his suffering and how he wishes to move because of the neighbors’ harassment…As a result of all these hardships his wife fell into a depression.
But lately he’s started working again, and his wife seems to be doing better. They are courageous, and continue with their hard life. We try to share and understand their sufferings, but also their joys, and to be present to them by small acts of kindness and by a few kind words when we meet in the street.
It’s just the beginning, the first steps in our search, but already we’re happy to be here among them.
The Little Sisters of Kawaguchi: Angela-Chika, Catarina Toshiko and Paula-Takako
